Circuit-controlling device.



F; J. AOKBRM AN. CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE. APPLICATIQN FILED DEC.9.1913.

Patented Mar. 1 6, 1915.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Y

I/NSLJLAT/ON MAGNE77ZABLE MAsNsf/ZABLE G MAG NET/ZAQLE I INVENTOR'wrmass: FIG. 2

I I M F. J. ACKERMAN.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.9,1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR I ,N\ Q. E Q T m Q Q w av L m @k ,4. u N w GQNWQ Q. x o Q \Q QQ2 a 51 Q 5 1 R4 \a Q WWW ' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. ACKEBMAZN', OF- PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG NO R TO THEUNION SWITCH 8a SIGNAL-COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, TENNSY-LV'ANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA;

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING- DEVICE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filedltovember 11, 1912, Serial No. 730,543.Divided and this apiflication filed December 9, 1913. Serial No.805,543.

To all 'wh om itmay concern 7 Be it known that I, FRANK J. AGKERMAN,

a citizenof the-United States, residing at M'y invention relatestocircuit controlling devices. Devices embodying my invention areparticularly adapted for the control of railway traflic controllingdevices, but their adaptation is not thus limited.

The present application-1s a division of my co-pendingap-plication'filed November 11, 1912, Serial No. 730,513, for Railwaytraffic controlling apparatus.

I will describe one form of circuit con trolling device embodying myinvention,

showing its application to one form of'railway trafiic' controllingapparatus, and will then point out the novel features thereofin claims.

In the accompanymg drawings, Figure 1 1s a view showing 1n end elevationone form of circuit controlling device embodying'my' invention; Fig.2'is a sectional view on the line II'II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing-a railway traffic controlling device and one form ofcontrolling apparatus and circuits therefor including the circuitcontrolling device-shown in Figs 1 and2z Similar referencecharacters'refer to similar partsin each ofthe severalyiews':

Referring first toFigs. 1 and"2,'the'device here shown; comprisesapolarize'd relay having; magnets '7 7 and 77 and a' neutral relayhaving-magnets-85 and 85: The cores of these magnets are all mounted in'front and back plats 84: and*79' er non magnetic ma terialr Themagnet'cores ofthe: polarized relay'are connected by "a'soft ironbaclcstrap' 87 interposedlbetween thesback plate 7 9 and the magnetspools; and the-magnet cores of the neutral relay aresimilarly'connected by a soft'iron back str'ap 88 interposed between thefront-plate :81 and the magnet spools. The magnet cores of the polarizedrelay are provided w-ithpole-picces 80 and 80 which are mounted on thecores and "are held in place by nuts 128 and 129. A polarized armature821s pivotally mounted on'a pin 83' carried in a soft'iron head 90',"andis arone of ranged to oscillate between the pole-pieces 80 and Thearmature 82 is polarized in any Sllltfibl manner; as here shown, thispolarization is accomplished by means of a permanent magnet 91 mountedin the plates 81 and 79 and passing through the head 90. The back strap87 extends-downwardly and surrounds the permanent magnet 91, as shown inFig. 2, and this magnet and thehead 90 "are held in place by nuts 92 and93' screwed upon the threaded ends'of themagnet 91. Mounted upon theupper end of armature 82 is a bracket 94 of insulating ma-v terial'whichcarries contact fingers 95 and 96. Although I have herein shown only twofingers 95 and 96, it'is'understood that any desired number of fingersmay be oper- Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

ated bythe polarized armature 821 The fingers 95 and 96 are riveted inslots in suitable blocks 97 and 98*secured' to'the bracket 94: byscrews99. The upper ends'of these fingers engage with contacts-100, 101, 102and 103- which are mounted in a suitable blocklO ofinsulating materialcarried by upwardlyreaching arms of front plate 84-. It will be seenthat when the armature 82 rests against pole-piece" (the'positiorrbyme'ans of wires 132 and-133 respectively,

with terminal posts 134 and 135 respectively, which} posts-aremounted ina block 136 of'iinsulatingmatrial carried by arms 13'? projectingfOIWaIdlYfIOIH front plate .84:; Secured to the armature 82 "is an upwardly extending locking segment 34, the upper edge of whichis providedwith a dog 35 by means of which the armaturemay be mechanically lockedineitlier of its extreme positions,that' is, against either of thepolepieces- 80 or 80, as hereinafter explained.

The-magnets and 85 of the neutral relay are provided with pole-pieces 36(only which is shown) located at the opposite end of the magnet from thepole-pieces 80 and 80 of the polarized relay. These pole-pieces 36actupon a neutral amature 37 carried on the vertical arm of a bentlever 38,which lever is pivoted at 39to' suitable arms 44 extending upwardly fromthe back plate 79. Mounted upon this lever 38 by means of insulatingstuds 46 are one or more contact fingers, one only of which, 45, appearsin the accompanying drawings, and

the lower end of which co-acts with a contact block 47 mounted on ablock 48 of insulating material, which latter is supported by suitablelugs on theback plate 7 9. Con- 10 tact 4547 is closed when the relay8585' is energized and open when the relay is deenergized. A horizontalarm 150 of lever 38 extends along the top of the device and coacts withthe dog 35 to control the movements of armature 82. This arm 150 isguided to move vertically by a suitable slot in a lug 140 formed on theupper edge of the front plate 84. When relay 8'585 is deenergized, theend of arm 150 rests by gravity in the bottom of the slot in lug 140 andon one side or the other of the dog 35, so that the armature 82 is thenlooked in whichever position it occupies. But when the relay 85 isenergized thereby attracting armature 37, the arm 150 is raisedsufliciently to allow dog 35 to pass under it, and the polarizedarmature 82 may then be reversed.

The permanent magnet 91 is provided with a winding 89 for the purpose ofmaintaining and reinforcing the flux of this magnet. This winding may beenergized at times in a manner such as will hereinafter appear.

Referring now to Fig.3, A designates a railway switch which is actuatedby an electric motor D. through the medium of a suitableactuatingmechanism F. P designates power mains comprising wires 11 and12, which mains are supplied with current from a battery 10, and fromwhich mains current is supplied tothe motor D by means of asuitableoperating circuit. This operating circuit is controlled directlyby a circuit controlling device G, which device is the same as thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2 and hereinbefore described. This device G ispreferably located adjacent the switch A and is provided with a controlcircuit which includes 7 contacts operated by a manually operated leverC, usually one of a plurality of levers in an interlocking machine.

The switch operating mechanism F which I havehere shown maybe brieflydescribed as follows: Operatively connected withthe armature 13 of motorD is a screw 15 which co-acts with a longitudinally movable nut 16. Thisnut is rigidly connectedwith a plate 18 provided with a cam slot 20,which latter co-acts with a roller 17; this roller drives a bar 19connected with the movable rails of a switch A. *The plate 18 carriesfour earns 30, 31, 54 and 57, which actuate respectively circuitcontrolling contacts 32, 33, 52 and 53 for purposes hereinafterexplained.

- The lever O is of a usual and well known type comprising anoscillating shaft 7 O which operates contacts 21, 22, 25 and 26. Thecontacts 21 and 22 constitute-a polechanger for reversing the directionof current in the polarized relay windings of the circuit controllingdevice G as hereinafter n explained. The movements of the shaft are asusual governed by return indication devices K and K each of whichcomprises a segment 27 fixed on the shaft 70 and provided with a dog 28which engages with a 7'5 latch 29 operatively connected with thearmature of an electromagnet N or B. Each of these electromagnets-isprovided with a separate indication circuit extending from the lever Oto the switch A, which circuits so are explained hereinafter. Thecontacts 25' and 26, which serve to control these indication circuits,are not moved during the first portion of the movement of the shaft 7 0up to the point at which it is stopped by the dogs 28 but during theremainder of the movement of the shaft the contacts 25' and 26 arereversed in position. This operation of contacts 25 and 26 is obtained,as here shown, by mounting the contacts loosely on the shaft 70, and bymoving them by pins 73, 74, 75. and 76 carried by disks 71 and 72fastened to the shaft 7 0.

The control circuit for the windings of polarized relay 77-77 is asfollows: from positive main 11 throu h wire 40, contact 21, wire 42,windings 7 and 77, wire 106,

contact 45-47,' wire 41, contact 22, wire 43,

to negative main 12. It will be seen that this circuit includes contact45-47 which 100,

is operated by the neutral magnet 85-85, and that therefore this circuitis closed 0111 when the neutral magnet is energized. will be seen alsothat this control circuit includes the pole-changing contacts 21 and 22,and that, therefore, the direction of current through the polarizedrelay windings depends on the position of lever C.

The windings 85 and 85 of the neutral relay are connected in series, andare provided with terminals 50 and 51. Terminal 50 is connected withcontrol wire 41, and terminal 51 is connected with either the positiveor the negative power main 11 or 12 by contacts '52 and 53. When contact53 is closed, as shown in the drawing, this tor minal'51 is connectedwith the negative main 12 through resistance 116, contact 53 and wires111 and 59. 'When the switch A is reversed so that contact 53 is openand contact 52 is closed, the terminal 51 will be connected with thepositive main 11 through resistance 114,- contact 52 and Wires 58 and109.

It will be seen, therefore, that relay 8585 will be energized or notaccording as its two I terminals are connected with power'mains ofdifferent polarity or with the same power main.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the switch A in what I shall herein term'thenormal position, and the other parts in the positions corresponding tothis position of the switch. With the parts in such positions, bothterminals of neutral relay Bio -85 are connectthe shaft 70 of lever C isrotated in the direction of the arrow until the dog 28-of indicationdevice K engages latch 29. This movement reverses the position of polechanging contacts 21 and 22, thereby connecting wires 41 and 42 with thepositive and negative mains 11 and 12 respectively. Terminal 50 ofneutral relay 85--85,-lbeing connected with wire 41, is now connectedwith the positive main 11; and since the other terminal 51 of this relayis connected with the negative main 12, current now flows throughwindings 85 and 85 so that the neutral relay isenergizedtherebyraising-the arm 150 out of the path of dog 35 and closing contact 45.The closing of contact 45 closes the circuit through the windings ofpolarized relay 7777*, and since the pole; changing contacts 21 and 22are reversed, the current flowing through the polarized relay is now insuch direction as to reverse of armature 82 reverses contacts 95 and 96,the position of armature 82. The reversal so that operating current issupplied to the motor D through the following circuitfrom positive main11 through wire 60, winding 89, wire 62, contact 95, wire 65, motorarmature 13, wire 66, contact 96-, wire 67, contact 33, wires 68 and 69,motor field winding 14, wire 59 to negative main 12.

This current passes through winding 89 in v such direction as toreinforce the flux of 45' the permanent magnet 91, thereby assuring thatthe flux of this magnet shall be main tained. Winding 89 is preferablyof low resistance so that it will not greatly reduce the motor current.The motor D is operated by this current in such direction as to actuatethe mechanism F to move switch A to the reverse position. As soon as themotor has moved the plate 18 a short distance, contact 52 is closed, sothat terminal 51 of the neutral relay is then .connected with both thepositive and negative power mains through contacts 52 and 53respectively, but this does not denergize the neutral relay 8585**. Acircuit is then closed from positive main 11 through wires 109 and 58,contact 52, resistance 114, resistance 116, contact 53, and wires 111and 59 to-negative main 12, but the current in this circuit is smallowing to resistances 114 and 116, hence this circuit does no harm. Whenthe movement of the switch A" to the reverse position has been completedand the switch rails have been loekedrby the end portion of cam slot 20,contact 33 is reversed in position by dog 31, thereby. opening the motoroperating circuit; at the same time contact 53 is reversed by dog 57thereby disconnecting terminal 51 from the negative main 12 and leavingit connected only with the positive main 11 through contact 52. Bothterminals of the neutral relay windings are then connected with thepositive main 11, so that no current flows through these windings andthe-relay therefore opens. Lever 38 falls,'thereby locking polarizedarmature 82 in the position which it now occupies and opening contact 45which opens the control circuit of the polarized relay so that thisrelay then becomes denergized. It will be seen therefore that as soon asa niovement of the switch has been completed, the consumption of currentby the controlling device G ceases. The reversal of contact 33 closes anindication cir. cuit through magnet R as follows-from positive powermain 11 through wires 109 and 110, contact 33,'wire 107, contact 25,wire 55, magnet R and wire 56, to negative power main 12. Current inthis circuit energizes magneVR which raises its armature, therebyraising latch 29 out of the path of dog 28, so that the movement of thelever C may then be continued 'to the end of the stroke. During thislast portion of the movement of the lever, contact 25 is reversedthereby opening the circuit of magnet R, and contact 26 is also reversedthereby closing at that point the circuit for magnet N, so that thecircuit for this magnet may be closed at the switch after the latterhasagain been moved to its normal position.

The movement of switch A from its reverse position to its normalposition would be similar to that just described. For such movement thedirection of the control current through the. polarized relay winding'isagain reversed'by contacts 21' and 22, and

' contacts and 96 are then moved back to.

the position shown in the drawing. A

motor operating circuit is 'then' closed through motor D as followsfrompositive power main l-lthrough wire 60, winding 89, wires 62 and 64,contact 96, wire 66, motor armature 13, 'wire 65, contact 95, wire 112,contact 32, wires 113 and 69, field winding 14, wire 59 to negativepower'main 12. This current passes through armature One importantfeature of a circuit controlling device embodying my invention is thatno current is consumed thereby except when the switch A is being moved.But in spite of this, if the lever 38 is raised by hand and thepolarized armature shifted to energize the motor to move the switch A tothe position opposite to that corresponding to the position of thecontrol leverC, then when the parts are left to themselves the circuitcontrolling device G will automatically operate to bring the switch backto the position corresponding to the position of the control lever. Forexample, referring'to Fig. 3, with the parts in the positions shown, iflever 38 is raised by hand and the armature 82 shifted to the oppositeposition, contacts 95 and 96 will close the motor circuit'and the switchA will be moved toward the reverse position. If after the switchoperating mechanism has been moved far enough to-close contact 52, theparts are left to themselves, the neutral relay 8585 will be energizedbee, use its terminal is connected with negative main 12 and its otherterminal 51 is then connected With positive main 11. Hence, armature 82Will be unlocked and the direction of current through the polarizedwinding is such that this armature Will be returned to the positionshown in the drawing, thereby shifting contacts 95 and 96 to cause themotor to return the switch to the normal position.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of circuitcontrolling device embodying my invention, it is understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a polarized relay comprising a polarized armature, anelectromagnet and a neutral armature controlled thereby, and meanscontrolled by said neutral armature for mechanically locking thepolarized armature when the electromagnet is denergized and forunlocking the polarized armature when the electromagnet is energized.

2. In combination, a polarized relay comprising a polarized armature, anelectro- 4. In combination, a polarized relay comprising apolarizedarmature adapted to occupy one position or another according tothe direction of current through the relay winding, an electromagnet,and an armature controlled thereby and adapted to lock the polarizedarmature in either of its two said positions.

5. In combination, a relay comprising a winding and a polarizedarmature, an electromagnet and a neutral armature controlled thereby,means controlled by said neutral armature for mechanically locking thepolarized armature, and a contact controlled by said neutral armaturefor controlling the supply of current to said wind- In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. ACKERMAN.

Witnesses:

V. H. RAGLAND, F. W. Errs.

